Friday, September 22, 2006

chibbles & bits

The Renegade Craft Fair was last weekend and I was able to go and mingle for a bit. First on my list was Corinne of Lucky Penny Handmade, who was there with her beautifully designed and knit dog sweaters. It was delightful to see the variety of dog owners visiting the booth and in my mind’s eye I dressed the pooches in all those yummy clothes!

Upside: The Fair has gotten larger and larger each year and there were over 150 vendors in all repping all the lastest and greatest crafting goodness out there. I want to be there next year myself with something – it would be like going home – I lived right across from the park on Schiller St for a couple of very happy years and it would be just lucky, I guess :)

Downside: first I forgot my camera, then I lost the cell phone I took some pictures with! L.O.S.T. without my digital pals P.A.N.I.C. inthe P.A.R.K.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You knew this was coming so DUCK!

Leaving the *premises* emptyhanded was just not an option. Hee. Just not possible for moi. Trachey Lampe to the rescue! I ended up with a couple of skeins of her gorgeous Lamp’s Lumps Handspun, which I reckon will morph into some really fine hattage as it’s getting cooooolio over here.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chic Knits Mystery Tip-O-the-Week

What she saw: k3 (0, 1, 3, 0, 1)

Now this is an interesting chain of numbers to be sure – a sequence that has given people fits on first approach more likely than not, including me. What the hella does that mean?

What she wrote: “For some reason on my printed pattern, there are instructions to knit additional stitches on Row 2.”

What I wrote: That is not a mistake. :)

That is the conventional way instructions are given when there is more than one size. The number nearest the abbreviation is the first size, followed by all the other sizes in order within the parentheses.

The pattern instruction is written as a series of numbers in parentheses following an instruction:
k3 (0, 1, 3, 0, 1)

It interprets as Knit *x* number of stitches for your size where the first number next to the abbreviation corresponds to the first size (in this case size 34) then each number seperated within the parentheses corresponds to progresseive sizes that the pattern is written for.

You will notice in the pattern there are 6 sizes.
34 (36, 38, 40, 42, 44)

In the above instructions, there are six numbers.

k3 (0, 1, 3, 0, 1)

It translates as
size 34 36 38 40 42 44
knit 3 0 1 3 0 1

You will see this used throughout. I find it helpful to take a marker and black out all numbers that do not refer to the size I’m making.